From Our Corner
Clippings, April 30, 2010
Library News The Libraries of Stevens County are looking toward the future by involving the community in a strategic planning process to ensure that the library facilities, service and resources are fulfilling patron needs and expectations. In April and May, there will be community planning open houses at each of the nine library locations..There is also a survey available through June on the library website. (The Independent [Chewelah], 4.15.10) The Anacortes Public Library is now charging… Read moreCourt OKs library Internet filters
The Washington Supreme Court says public libraries may filter out porn sites from their computers without violating the state's strong constitutional guarantees of free… Read more
Gregoire signs hard-times budget
Governor Gregoire has signed a new budget for Washington state, but warns that we aren't out of the woods yet. The Democratic governor signed the $31 billion… Read more
WSL Updates for May 6, 2010
Volume 6, May 6, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list
Topics include:
1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE - NATIONAL WINNERS
2) CURRENT ISSUES - LIBRARY TRENDS WITH GEORGE AND JAMES
3) PROQUEST RENEWAL ANNOUNCEMENT
4) ARCHIVAL 101 - FREE WEBINAR FOR EVERYONE
5) FREE MOLD WEBINAR
6) BUILDING THE PARTICIPATORY LIBRARY
7) HOT TOOLS FOR TOUGH TIMES DRIVE-BY SERIES
8) USING SECOND LIFE TO COLLABORATE AND CONNECT
… Read moreYour 2-minute review of 2010 session
Image The legislative session is officially over, now that Governor Gregoire has signed the last bill. For a once over lightly, you can see all of the bills that made it to the governor's desk… Read more
From Your Corner: How Forks got its name
This small town of 3,185 on the west (or “wet”) side of the Olympic Peninsula is well known among “Twilight” fans as the setting for the teen vampire-based tomes. But long before Stephenie Meyer helped make Forks a household name among her fans, this Clallam County town was famous for logging. Image The town’s name originates because of its location near the forks of three rivers – the Calawah, Bogachiel and Sol Duc. This photo (courtesy of… Read more
Answers to "didyaknow...?" trivia
... in last Friday's "didyaknow..?" post, we asked if you could guess which original decor items from the photograph are still in use in the Secretary's office (plus a bonus point for guessing the correct Secretary of State). The items in use are highlighted in… Read more
Get fast corporations info with new Android app
Image Hey all you Android users: We’ve just completed an Android app that allows you to look up the status of registered Washington corporations from your phone. It’s now available at the Android Market for download under “WA State Corporations Lookup.” This new app is… Read more
Didyaknow...?
Did you know that some of the decor in the Secretary of State's office is the same as it was decades ago? Can you guess which original items in the picture below are still decorating Secretary Reed's office today? There are a total of four items in this old photograph that we can see in Reed's office right now, and the answers will be revealed on Monday. (A bonus point goes to you if you can guess the name of the Secretary of State in the photograph!)
Image… Read more
WA exports more than apples & jets
Washington is on the map as one of those "laboratory of democracy" states, with citizens who seem relatively comfortable with innovation and experimentation. Some of those ideas get exported to other states. A couple of… Read more
Don’t mock this
We just got some exciting news from the other Washington (D.C.): We are one of 14 organizations to receive grants from the U.S. Election Assistance… Read more
Clippings, April 23, 2010
WA State Library News A new project coordinated by the Washington State Library has enabled small and midsized public libraries across the state to offer downloadable audiobooks, also known as "eAudioBooks." Ritzville Library District No. 2 joins the roster of 40 small and midsized public libraries, 22 public library systems, nine academic libraries and more than 350 schools and school districts that offer or are planning o participate in the program. (Ritzville-Adams County Journal, 4.8.10… Read moreWSL Updates for April 29, 2010
Volume 6, April 29, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list
Topics include:
1) WEEDING JEOPARDY - FIRST TUESDAYS MAY 4
2) EFFECTIVELY SERVING PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES
3) MAY IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH
4) VIDEO IN THE LIBRARY - TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES
5) ACCIDENTAL LEADERSHIP WITH GEORGE NEEDHAM
6) CRIME FICTION PAST AND PRESENT
7) THE NEW DISCOVERY LANDSCAPE
… Read more9th Circuit will rehear WA felon voter case
Image The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to rehear a challenge of Washington's longstanding ban on voting by felons. Today's development, handed down in a one-paragraph, three-line order signed by Chief Judge Alex Kozinski… Read moreReed, McKenna optimistic about R-71 case
Attorney General Rob McKenna and Secretary of State Sam Reed emerged from the U.S. Supreme Court today optimistic that the high court will allow Washington and other states to treat initiative and referendum petitions as releasable public records.
… Read moreGregoire OKs state employee furloughs
Image Governor Gregoire has signed legislation ordering many state employees to take 10 unpaid days off during the coming fiscal year –… Read more
How to try chat via iPhone (without the iPhone)
I've been playing around with mobile chat solutions for Ask-WA for the last few weeks. Mobile's the way to go for virtual reference, and Ask-WA is going there, one way or another. We're beginning a text-a-librarian pilot starting next month and running through September, and I'm interested to see what sorts of interest levels that garners from our users.
In the meantime, I've been trying out… Read more
A book? A paper-type book?
Yes, it's true. We're all bloggy, electronic-book-reading, texters these days, but some of us still dig books. Real dead-tree paper books with purty pictures. For months now, our re-booted oral history program, called… Read more
The Perils of Automatic Copyright Protection
This story starts in Google Reader, where my pal Amy B shared this video by Jason H, and I thought, "Hey, that's awesome, I wanna make one!" So I did… Read more
Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
